Legislation to strip the Secretary of State of certain responsibilities tied to the State Board of election is headed to the full Kentucky Senate. The bill covers both current and future office holders. During committee review, Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer cited a three-part series by the Lexington Herald-Leader and Pro Publica regarding the current Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes. Those reports indicate staff members in the state office had improperly accessed the statewide voter system.
Thayer said that the measure would make the State Board of Elections an independent agency of state government.
“The Secretary of State will no longer preside or be a voting member of the State Board, but shall be an ex-officio non-voting member while maintaining the status of chief election officer of the Commonwealth,” said Thayer
Secretary of State Grimes issued a statement Wednesday afternoon.
"Assuming that the State Board of Elections staff, as the press has alleged, can produce verified searches conducted in the Voter Registration System, I call for the complete release of all searches, conducted by all members of my staff, the State Board of Elections staff, our 120 county clerks, and their deputies to be immediately released. These searches will reflect that my staff has always acted appropriately pursuant to my role as Kentucky's Secretary of State and Chief Election Official."
